OCT - DEC 20229CHEMICAL INDUSTRY REVIEWlocal hires. We invested in a training system from AVEVA called MPDS ­ that stands for Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulator. This allowed us to invite local job applicants from all walks of life, most lacking experience in the industry. Then we could teach them how to operate our equipment, and how to apply that knowledge in a simulated setting.Besides operator training, through MPDS, our engineers virtually commissioned the plant, simulating the steps of the start-up sequence. Each time they encountered a problem, they resolved it, sometimes by changing the design, which prevented problem from manifesting in the field. Our workers have implemented more than 10,000 improvements to the plant design during virtual commissioning and process simulations. These optimizations give us confidence we would encounter fewer issues in the actual commissioning process, issues that can result in costly delays.The upshot is that we are now80 percent of the way through the construction process and expect to complete it next year, in line with the timeline we put out when we announced the investment in 2016. And our workers and investment in digitalization made it possible, despite interruptions from a pandemic.We see digitalization as a tool for our workers; its value comes alive in a worker's hands, just like a wrench or a nail gun. Digitalization alone cannot perform all the functions we expect from our field workers or managers.Indeed, at Pennsylvania Chemical, digitalization as a training tool helps us to create highly skilled workers ­ not replace them. At the same time, we're reducing the number of tedious tasks in their workday and eliminating tasks that present a safety risk. So, it improves workers' performance ­ our 3rd "P,"­ and it gives them a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction. This, in turn, helps us to reap all the benefits of their talent and dedication.Ultimately, digital technology provides a level of certainty in a traditionally uncertain landscape. It encourages people to create more agile, productive ways of working. It enables delving deeper into data science to unlock value.And it enhances workers' skills, equipping them for long, lucrative careers in high-tech manufacturing. And from these improvements, we find yet another P-word that often flows from digitalization: Prosperity. The value we gained from digital technology boils down to Three Ps: Planning, Precision, and Performance, which is critical to building and operating a major manufacturing complex in the current age
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